Last year, Iggy and the Stooges released a new album Ready to Die. As guitarist James Williamson told Rolling Stone, Iggy wanted to take a year off, but the rest of the Stooges decided to keep going without him. They’re working on an album called Re-Licked. It features several Raw Power-era tracks the band only played live (which have circulated widely on bootlegs) sung by a variety of guest vocalists.

The album will feature Ariel Pink, Mark Lanegan, Jello Biafra, the Orwells’ Mario Cuomo, blues singer Carolyn Wonderland, Le Butcherettes’ Teri Gender Bender, and others. On Record Store Day (April 19), Williamson will release a 7″ featuring “Open Up and Bleed” b/w “Gimme Some Skin”, both sung by Wonderland.

Williamson, Mike Watt, Steve Mackay, and Toby Dammit recorded most of the album at Dave Grohl’s 606 Studios. (The one with the Neve console from Sound City.) A spokesperson for Iggy Pop told Rolling Stone that he was never given an opportunity to participate. Williamson said:

“He gave me his blessing and wished me success,” says Williamson. “But it’s a hard pill to swallow when someone is doing all your songs with your band and you’re not on it. I think he’s cool with it so far. We’ll see how things progress…I hope he maintains his positive attitude.”

Later, Pop released a statement to the magazine:

“I don’t have a problem with anything, I don’t oppose anything. This statement about the ‘hard pill’ sounds kind of passive aggressive to me. The guys in the touring group have been phoning and emailing me and my rep before during and after the recordings, wondering how I felt about this. These guys are my friends and we’ve all worked together many years. I am glad someone is paying them; they are working musicians and they need to play. I want to thank all the wonderful singers on this record for covering my songs.”

It includes versions of “She Creatures Of The Hollywood Hills” (sung by Pink), “Wild Love” (Lanegan), “Sick of You” (Cuomo), “Head On” (Biafra), “Till the End of the Night” (Teri Gender Bender), “I Got A Right”, and “Heavy Liquid”.
The band don’t plan on touring behind the album, though Williamson says the Stooges (along with Iggy) are tentatively planning to tour again in 2015.